The Albian to Turonian carbon isotope record from the Shilaif Basin (United Arab Emirates) and its regional and intercontinental correlation

Abstract

The sedimentary record of the Arabian Shelf offers a unique opportunity to study the Cretaceous (Albian–Turonian) greenhouse climate from a palaeoequatorial perspective. In particular, hemipelagic to pelagic carbonate successions from the extensive Shilaif intra‐shelf basin have the potential to produce an excellent record of carbon cycle perturbations during this interval. This study presents a 269 m thick chemostratigraphic (carbonate δ13C and δ18O) record from the Middle Albian to Early Turonian of central Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), representing over 14 Myr of uninterrupted carbonate sedimentation. The Mauddud to Shilaif formations represent outer ramp to basinal intra‐shelf carbonates with variations from laminated organic‐rich to clean bioturbated intervals. Isotopic evidence of the latest Albian Anoxic Event (Oceanic Anoxic Event 1d), Middle Cenomanian Event I and the Cenomanian–Turonian Anoxic Event (Oceanic Anoxic Event 2) are confirmed and biostratigraphically calibrated by means of calcareous nannofossils. The carbon isotope record allows correlation with other regional records and well‐calibrated records across the Tethyan Ocean and represents a significant improvement of the chronostratigraphic framework of the United Arab Emirates (Shilaif) and Oman (Natih) intra‐shelf basins. The study further confirms that low carbon isotope values corresponding to the two source rock intervals in the Shilaif Formation clearly precede the isotopic expressions of Oceanic Anoxic Event 1d and Oceanic Anoxic Event 2.

Sequence Stratigraphy, Palaeogeography and Petroleum Plays of the Cenomanian – Turonian Succession of the Arabian Plate: An Updated Synthesis

“…9, Khormuj and Chenar Bashi outcrops). This excursion is also recognized in the upper part of the Shilaif Formation in the UAE (Vahrenkamp et al, 2015;Hennhoefer et al, 2019;Perrotta et al, 2017) (see Fig. 6, Shilaif Basin well).…”

“…6, Shilaif basin well) (Azzam, 1995). An early Turonian age for the Tuwayil Formation is inferred from its stratigraphic position above the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event δ 13 C isotope excursion documented in the upper sequence of the Shilaif Formation (K140 sequence) (Vahrenkamp et al, 2015;Perrotta et al, 2017;Hennhoefer et al, 2019) (see Fig. 6, Shilaif basin well).…”

Calcareous nannoplankton proxies for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the Albian–Cenomanian succession in North-western Israel (Mount Carmel Region)

“…The δ 13 C curve of the studied section differs significantly from δ 13 C records in other localities (e.g., Jarvis et al, 2006;Gambacorta et al, 2015;Giorgioni et al, 2015;Bornemann et al, 2017). The Upper Cenomanian is marked instead by rather negative carbon isotopic values that do not match any record worldwide, except, possibly, the Shilaif and Natih basins (United Arab Emirates) where a prominent decrease in δ 13 C values is detected in the Late Cenomanian prior to OAE 2 (Vahrenkamp, 2013;Wohlwend et al, 2016;Hennhoefer et al, 2019). Such differences may reflect either diagenetic alteration or/and the presence of hiatuses.…”

Combining biodegradation in 2D petroleum system models: application to the Cretaceous petroleum system of the southern Persian Gulf basin

“…Paleogeographic reconstructions during the Upper Cretaceous of the area indicate development of intrashelf basins over the eastern edge of the Arabian Plate (Vahrenkamp et al 2015). Deposition of organic-rich facies of the Middle Sarvak source rock took place behind the Mishrif rim, which represent favorable carrier/reservoir rock qualities in the area of our study (Al-Zaabi et al 2010;Hennhoefer et al 2018). The stratigraphy of the Cenomanian Sarvak-Mishrif sequence of the southern Persian Gulf basin has been discussed in more detail recently (Jodeyri-Agaii et al 2018).…”